Beauty and the Geek
by Pinkcandle
Summary: Joe leaves a note on Mimi's doorstep, leading to their first date. Years later, when Mimi wants their relationship to become deeper, she shows up on his. But it's a bit harder than just sending a love letter. JoexMimi
1. First Date

Joe fiddled nervously with the collar of his shirt. He hoped he looked good tonight. He had started putting on his trademark sweatervest, but then thought differently about it. All the magazines he'd started reading gave fashion tips on how to dress for dates, so Joe decided to take their advice. The button down shirt was pale yellow, almost white, with the cuffs turned down and the collar unfastened. It was tucked loosely into a pair of skinny jeans which ended with a pair of brown loafers. Blue hair had grown out some and Joe was now contemplating on whether or not he should have cut it for tonight. Checking his watch he sped up a bit more, but not too much for fear of sweating which would leave marks on his shirt and probably smell bad. Not to mention he didn't want to show up winded. He had a hard enough time talking without having to catch his breath at the same time. Finally he was standing at the apartment door, the name Tachikawa printed on a plaque above the doorbell. Joe cleared his throat, adjusted his glasses, shifted the large boquet of flowers, and knocked upon the door.

Mimi had been practically spinning around her room, giggling to herself as she prepared. What a nice surprise it had been to come home from Hawaii to see a huge heart-shaped card at her door. Granted, it was laying on the floor after falling from where it had been perched on her mailbox, but the message was the same. Joe had finally asked her out on a date! She looked over at the homemade heart, hanging over her bed, and gave another giggle when she heard the knock on the door. Her father was the one to open the door, looking oddly at the boy standing there. "Yes?" He said, his expression hard to read through the round, tinted shades he always insisted on wearing.

"Good evening Mister Keisuke- I mean Mister Tachikawa!- I mean sir! Yes!" Joe coughed nervously, ready to have a heart attack. "Good evening, sir. M-My name is Joe Kido. I'm a friend of your daughter, Mimi, your daughter. Um... I came h-here to ask if she would go on a... a d-d-da-date with me t-tonight. I would be honored if she said yes. And of course all with your permission, sir!" He added the last part rather quickly. "I mean, I wouldn't dare do anything you didn't approve of. Just say the word and I'm gone. Not that I would give up on Mimi that quickly! But not to say I would kidnap her or anything!" Joe started panic and wheeze. "Maybe I... should come back... later..."

The man just stared at him oddly, and opened his mouth to say something, only to stop when Mimi's bedroom door swung open next to him. She came prancing out, giggling and hanging onto her father's arm. "Papa, you're scaring him!" She had her hair up in a ponytail held back by a sparkly pink scrunchie, her two long bangs curled up at the ends. The scrunchie matched an equally pink skirt and pair of dress shoes with little white bows that went along with her white blouse. She offered Joe a smile that was highlighted with shimmering lip gloss. "Don't let my dad scare you! He's really only intimidating 'cuse of the glasses." With that, she plucked them off her father's face and tucked them into his pocket.

"These are for you!" Joe said, the words blurting out at a much higher volume than he intended, and presented the boquet of flowers. Two dozen pink roses accented by white baby's breath were wrapped delicately in white paper and tied together with a pink satin bow.

Mimi gasped just as loudly as Joe yelled, and quickly snatched up the flowers in her arms. "Oh, they're beautiful!" She gushed, smiling widely at the boy. "Thank you, Joe! Oh, come inside!" She quickly bustled past her father to try and find a vase to put the roses in, moving quickly and excitedly.

Joe blushed brightly when she smiled at him. Mimi's glossy pink lips sent his heart racing. In fact, everything about Mimi put butterflies in his stomach. Then he looked back up at her father who, despite what Mimi said, was still intimidating without the glasses. The butterflies screamed in terror and went to hide in his spleen somewhere. With a nervous gulp and even more nervous smile, he slunk inside, but ventured no further than just inside the door. Joe stood straight, eyes forward, and hands at his side. "You have a lovely home, please tell Misses Tachikawa she's done a wonderful job," he said rather stiffly. "Oh! Sir, I plan to take Mimi, your daughter... your lovely, respectable, beautiful daughter... out to dinner and then to the park!" Oh god, why couldn't he get his voice to go down? "I thought we could get ice cream and ride the carousel! I would have her home by 9:30!"

The man crossed his arms, but he finally nodded slowly. "Alright, that sounds just fine. Just keep to your word."

Without giving Joe a chance to sigh with relief, Mimi had gotten a vase, put the flowers in her room, and bounded out again, latching onto Joe's arm now. "So, are we going?" She asked.

He nodded quickly. "Y-Yes. Um, okay." Joe looked back at the man. "Thank you, sir. 9:30 on the dot. I swear." He raised his hand. "Future doctor's honor!"

Mimi giggled and practically dragged Joe out the door, leaving her father to just look on with a bit of a shocked expression on his face. She pulled him along until they were out of her apartment building, then finally slowed down and let him take the lead. "Where are we going?"

"Um, well, I thought we could go to the Daisy Day Cafe for dinner, then to the park for ice cream and the carousel." Joe scratched the back of his head and looked at the girl sheepishly. "Is that all right? We can do something else if you think it's too boring. I just wanted to take you somewhere nice. I know you like cute things, and this cafe is kind of like that. I reserved us a table, but I can cancel. You just say the word." He said all of this rather quickly. The butterflies were back fluttering about in his stomach and making his brain go into overdrive.

Mimi just smiled, shaking her head. "No, that sounds nice, Joe. Let's go!" She looked at him expectantly, batting her light brown eyes. "Lead the way!"

Joe let out a wheezing sort of laugh, blushing. "R-Right." He led her along, making sure they stopped at crosswalks and avoided puddles and kept her on the inside of the sidewalk. At the Daisy Day Cafe, Joe requested his table for two and they were promptly led outside. There was still enough sun left to see easily, but not so much that it was too hot anymore. The tables were round and painted white with white umbrellas up through the center. A small white fence divided the patio from the rest of the pedestrians, lined with faux grass, plastic flowers, and spring colored pinwheels. Mimi's chair was painted like a ladybug while Joe's was a bumblebee. They were given their menus and the waitress would return shortly for their orders. "Get anything you want," the boy insisted.

"Anything?" Mimi asked, a sly grin coming across her face. Despite that, her order seemed tame enough. She just wanted a salad and dressing with some soda. She ate it slowly while laughing and talking to Joe, who seemed to be having a hard time of it. Even though he didn't have the greatest social techniques to fall back on, Joe was trying his best on the date. Plus it was their first, so he thought that entitled him to some nerves. Mimi was just so great. Nobody could wear pink like she could. Not without being cliche. Joe watched the way her lips moved as she talked and how her pearly white teeth flashed when she laughed. Giggles were different, though. Mimi always closed her eyes and turned her head down just slightly when she giggled. Joe watched how she would toss one of her long bangs back over her shoulder only for it to fall back into place. He would get lost in her caramel brown eyes which always made contact with his own. He even loved to watch her hands which she used frequently while talking; the way her wrists turned, the way her fingers curled, the way her palm swept through the air. Mimi was just perfect. When dessert came around and the waiter returned to take their orders for it, Mimi finally busted out that grin again and promptly pointed to the ice cream sundae for two. "This." She proclaimed simply. When she ordered dessert, the waiter just gave a knowing smirk to couple and nodded before walking off. This just sent Joe into another tizzy which had him blushing and stuttering and fumbling in his seat. "What?" Mimi asked, her voice raising slightly in pitch as she watched Joe start to fidget and blush. "Don't you like ice cream?" She asked, putting her hands flat on the table and leaning across it until she was right in front of him. "Hmmm?" She wasn't as oblivious as she let on, however, and she laughed before Joe could even attempt to answer the obviously rhetorical question. "'Course you do! And between the two of us, we can finish it off."

Dark eyes immediately looked down at the hands on the table. Beautiful, soft, peach colored hands. Joe swallowed the lump in his throat and tried to ignore the pounding of his heart in his ears. "M-Mimi..." His own hands found their way onto the table's surface, spread out just as flat, mirroring her position. Joe didn't like his hands as much. His palms were sort of flat with long fingers, pasty colored skin, and little calluses on his fingers from writing all the time. "Could... Could I, um... H-H-Hoooooold..." Mimi tilted her head slightly, looking confused at first. But as Joe continued to stammer, Mimi finally caught on to what he was trying to say. She smiled brightly, and simply reached across the table and took his hand. She didn't seem nervous at all; he had enough nervousness for the two of them. Even though she was confident, though, she still blushed a little. The little butterflies in Joe's stomach gave a cheer, putting a smile on his face. "I really like you, Mimi. Thanks for giving me a chance."

"Of course, Joe!" Mimi said brightly, blushing a bit brighter. "You know I like you too."

Joe laughed timidly. "I was almost sure you would meet some tall, buff, tan Samoan in Hawaii, and then never come back. I mean... A guy like that is a way better catch than a guy like me, right?"

"I wouldn't do that, Joe," Mimi said, sounding genuinely confused by the notion. "Why would I want to find some guy in Hawaii? I like you!"

Mimi's innocence was always part of the charm which drew Joe to her. "Yeah, and that makes me one of the luckiest guys in the world."

Mimi just smiled, kicking her feet back and forth. She held Joe's hand until the sundae was delivered, and that's when her hands were clasped together in delight. She at once picked up her spoon and jabbed at the cherry slightly, saying, "Do you mind if I have the cherry, Joe?"

The boy just smiled and shook his head gently. "No, go right ahead." Joe picked up his own spoon and scooped up a bit of chocolate ice cream and whipped cream. "Oh... um, you look really pretty today, Mimi."

Mimi had plucked the cherry off the top of the sundae, but Joe's words caught her before she could eat it. She looked surprised at first, but then she smiled and blushed, only to start talking rather quickly in her embarrassment. "You really think so? I didn't think this outfit was so great... I mean, I definitely changed like fifty times. And I couldn't get my hair to look nice, so I had to put it up!"

Joe laughed shyly. "I would think you looked great no matter what you wore, Mimi. You could be in pajama pants, a huge old t-shirt, mismatched socks, and hair sticking every which way, and I would still think you were beautiful. To be honest, though, I like your hair better when it's down. See..." He reached over letting his finger hover and inch or two from her skin. "The waves curve against your neck in this really soft sort of way. I also like the way your hair ruffles when the wind blows it just right." Joe stopped talking then, seeing the look on the girl's face. His own expression sort of fell and his skin blazed with embarrassment. He coughed and looked down. "The bows on your shoes are cute."

Mimi blinked a few times before she turned her head away and started to giggle. After a moment, she said, "Is that so? Well, it's getting cooler out..." She looked up and then pulled the scrunchie from her hair, letting the long, light brown locks fall around her shoulders. The scrunchie was then slid onto her wrist instead. She flipped her hair out of her face on one side, and then smiled. "Thanks, Joe."

Joe couldn't help staring at her hair for a few seconds. He really did love to watch it flow down around her shoulders and frame her face. "N-No problem," he replied and then promptly took another spoonful of the sundae.

Mimi finally popped the cherry into her mouth and then started to eat the sundae as well. She glanced between the ice cream and Joe a few times, before she couldn't contain her laughter anymore. "Joe," She started, leaning across the table and using a finger to wipe away some fudge he'd smudged on his cheek. "You're missing your mouth, silly." She said before licking the chocolate off her finger.

His face turned redder than the cherry she'd just eaten. Even his glasses were fogging up. There was a loud clatter as Joe stood suddenly with his face turned down. "Please excuse me!" he blurted, having lost all volume control once again. Joe stumbled over his own chair as he went for the door which would lead back into the cafe, nearly knocking a waitress over when he fumbled through the door. Mimi looked confusedly after him, craning her neck to see where he was going and frowning a bit. Was it something she said? Joe returned about five minutes later. His face was a bit damp, indicating he'd splashed himself with water, and a button had been undone on his collar. The spoon was picked up once again and he recommenced eating the sundae. "So... have you thought about which junior high you're going to attend?" he asked, clearly trying to avoid getting too personal and awkward again.

Mimi seemed confused, but she figured the change of conversation would be best for Joe. "Oh, I dunno..." Mimi said, biting the end of the spoon slightly. She shrugged, looking up at Joe. "You took your entrance exams already, didn't you?"

Joe nodded. "Yeah, I've got three high schools lined up; Toei High, Kakudou High, or Hosoda High. I'm not really sure which one I want to attend. Hosoda High is kind of far off, about twenty miles, and I'm not sure I want to ride the bus all that way. Kakudou is a gifted school, which I easily scored high enough to get into and they could give me great recommendations for college, but I don't think I want to be around that many smart kids. Feels like a lot of pressure. Toei High is pretty average. I would get to be with regular kids and it's only ten minutes from the apartment. Toei won't open as many doors for me, but that also means there won't be any overwhelming expectations."

"Wow," Mimi said, her caramel eyes widening. "You took entrance exams for all of them? I can barely stand to sit through one!" She put a spoonful of ice cream into her mouth, looking thoughtful. Then she smiled, taking the spoon out and waving it, as if scolding. "You know you'd do amazing in... the... the smart one, Joe."

"Yeah... But what if the work load ends up being really big and doesn't leave me any time for fun? I especially don't want to get caught up in papers, exams, and projects when I would much rather be taking you out on dates," he said, managing to keep his blush toned down. "Honestly, Mimi, you're way more important to me than school. There are dozens of schools I can go to, that would love to have me, but there's only one Mimi."

Mimi smiled, tucking her knees together shyly. "Oh... thank you, Joe. But you shouldn't cut yourself off from good opportunities just for me."

Joe rubbed the back of his head. "The best opportunity I ever took was showing you the constellations out in the desert that one night. Mimi... I'm sort of one of those people who could have the world served to them on a silver platter. I might have to work for it a little, but I would get it, no question. So... instead of just getting what I need... I'd rather focus on having what I want."

Mimi just couldn't help the huge grin on her face, and eventually looked down, blushing. "Thank you, Joe. You don't know how happy that makes me."

He smiled back at her. "I'm just glad I can make you happy." They finished eating their sundae and Joe paid for the meal. Offering his arm, he led the way to the park. He had originally planned on them having ice cream cones here, but dessert at Daisy Day had nipped that plan in the bud. Instead, the young couple just wandered around the park idly talking about this or that. Joe picked a wildflower at one point and clumsily wove it into Mimi's hair. He was glad when the effort was rewarded with a pretty smile. Soon they came around to the carousel. They had to wait in line, but eventually it was their turn. Joe took Mimi around and around the ride, looking for a carriage or even two horses side by side for them to ride, but everything was taken. All that was left was one white horse, molded into a prancing pose, with pink roses in the mane. "Um..." Nervous as ever, Joe wordlessly gestured to help Mimi atop the horse.

Mimi giggled, waving her hand. "You get up on it first." She said, putting her hands on her hips stubbornly until he did. Once Joe was sitting up on the horse, she climbed onto the back, wrapping her arms around his waist. "This works, right?"

"W-Well... I kind of thought you would, um, sit in front..."

Mimi frowned, resting her head on Joe's shoulder. "But this is more comfy." She said with a cute little pout.

Joe swallowed. The butterflies were at it again and his heart was beating a mile a minute. "Oh... O-Okay, sure."

The carousel jumped into motion, and Mimi clung a bit tighter as if the little bit of motion would throw her off. When her body pressed against Joe's back, she realized his heart was beating so hard that she could feel it. "Joe," She giggled, laying her head on his shoulder again, "What're you so nervous about?"

"B-Because the girl of my dreams is holding onto me and leaning against me," he answered in a very shakey voice. "And it's not all n-nerves. Some of it is... is excitement."

"Oh," Mimi said simply, only to giggle again and close her eyes. "I'm glad it's not just me."

Joe looked over his shoulder. "You, Mimi?"

"Not just me who's excited," the girl clarified, opening her brown eyes and looking up at him.

"Oh... R-Really?" Joe smiled and laughed nervously, that little nerdy wheeze slipping in. "Well, I'm glad you're having a good time. You are having a good time, right?"

"Of course!" she said, sounding delighted. Then she pouted a bit, asking, "Are you?"

"Oh boy, am I ever!" he exclaimed in a much louder tone than he'd meant, which of course caused him to blush fiercely.

Mimi just smiled wider, blushing as Joe did. She slipped her feet forward so she could lean on the sculpted stirrups of the horse, brushing her ankles against Joe's, and using them to stand up and place a peck on the boy's cheek. "Good!" she giggled, before sitting back down and getting comfortable again.

When she kissed his cheek, Joe let out another nervous laugh. He turned forward again and they enjoyed the rest of the ride together quietly. Once they were off and exited the gate, he looked down at his watch. "I should be getting you home, Mimi. I promised your dad."

"Is it that late already?" Mimi asked, frowning a bit. "That went way too fast." She gave an overdramatic sigh, putting her hands on her hips.

"Heh... Yeah, it did." Joe grinned sheepishly while rubbbing the back of his head. "So, I could take you out again next week. Would that make up for it?"

Mimi let out another dramatic sigh, but it was coupled with a playful smile. "I suppose that will do." She said, taking Joe's free hand in hers.

Joe nodded and started leading her home. "Do you like candy, Mimi? I want to know what I can bring you next time."

"Oh, yeah!" Mimi said, her eyes sparkling with the promise of candy. "I really like chocolate, actually..."

"Chocolate, huh? How about a big heart box full of chocolate then?" Joe smiled at her. "How does that sound?"

Mimi blushed, looking at her feet and nodding with a shy smile. "That sounds great."

"Good." Before Joe even realized it, they had ended up back at Mimi's apartment. He'd been so caught up in watching her that he didn't notice how quickly his feet were moving. They stood there a bit akwardly for a few minutes. Joe scratching the back of his head and Mimi twirling her hair around her finger. Finally taking a deep breath, Joe asked, "Mimi, may I.... k-k-kiss you good... goodnight?"

Mimi smiled, nodding and clasping her hands together. "Mhm! Of course, Joe." She said, shuffling one of her feet cutely.

"'K-Kay..." Joe adjusted his glasses, the collar of his shirt, his glasses again... Stop fidgeting! The teen shook his head and leaned forward. As he watched Mimi's eyes slip closed, he couldn't help but notice how quickly his heart was beating. He saw her lips come together and pout out beautifully. Too bad Joe was too scared for that. At last, his own lips made contact with her cheek. He lingered there for a few seconds, and then pulled back, letting his lips make that small smooching sound.

Mimi opened one eye slightly, her lips still pursed, expecting the kiss. But what she saw was a very nervous looking Joe who had just given her a peck on the cheek. She looked confused at first, but then she couldn't help the amused giggle that came next. It was cute how nervous and scared Joe got. She stepped forward on her own, slipped her arms around Joe's shoulders, and gave him an actual kiss on the lips.

Joe could have melted right there. Oh, how amazing this felt. Mimi's lips were so soft and pink and perfect. Now he felt so self-conscious about not putting chapstick on today. His hands were just starting to cup against her waist when the door opened. "Mister Tachikawa!" he belted as he ripped away from Mimi. Joe's blush was red enough to shame their country's flag.

Mimi just smiled, blushing as well. "Thanks for the good time, Joe! See you next week!" She giggled, prancing into the apartment. Her father just stood in the doorway, surprised to say the least, watching his daughter as she rushed into her bedroom, and then looking back at Joe.

Joe stood there, staring back at the man and feeling like he might pass out. "You have a lovely daughter!" he blurted awkwardly before bowing deeply and running away down the stairs.


	2. Mimi's Move In

"I can't believe you're copping out like this."

"I am not!"

"Whatever happened to, 'I'm not so sure I want to be a doctor anymore'?"

"Shuu, that was you who said that. All I said was that I at least felt comfortable considering other options, and now that I have, this is what I really want to do." Joe was trying to fill out applications for medical colleges, since he'd be graduating next year and needed a few lined up to choose from, but his older brother was giving him a hard time. "And you're one to talk," Joe added. "Which one of us is _still_ in law school and _still_ living at home, huh?"

"Don't even start, Joe. You know it's expensive enough going to school, let alone supporting myself."

"Shin managed to do it just fine."

"Yeah, well Shin was the golden child and neither you nor I are ever going to live up to him." All Joe did was sigh. Why did Shuu have to make such a big deal out of everything? If he didn't want their dad harping on him for not carrying on the Kido family tradition of becoming a doctor, then he should just leave. Luckily the ring of their doorbell provided a much needed relief from the sibling squabble. "I'll get it," Shuu said.

Standing on the other side of the door was Mimi, looking, as usual, like she'd just careened through a designer clothing wrack. Pink hair, which she was allowing to grow out again, hung in very loose curls with white star clips keeping the bangs out of her eyes, matching the stars on a dark blue tank-top, her white skirt, the white choker around her neck, and her high white boots. Sparkling dark blue bracelets clinked on her wrist as she waved with a glossy smile at the boy who opened the door. "Hi, Shuu!" she greeted cheerily, her trim nails then brushing back a lock of hair behind her ear.

Shuu just stood at the open door looking astounded for a couple of seconds, the word 'wow' forming silently on his lips. How the hell did his brother ever get a girl like that? Talk about illogical. "Joe, it's for you!"

Joe set his pen down on top the application papers as he went to the door. He passed by Shuu first, who gave him a strange wink, but the confusion didn't last. Shock soon took over his face when he saw his girlfriend at the front door. With every suitcase she had to her name. "M-Mimi? What is all this?" Joe asked as he stepped outside. "Your plane for America left just last week. What are you doing here again so soon?"

"I don't wanna go!" Mimi cried a bit over-dramatically, flinging herself at her boyfriend and practically hanging off his neck. "I got lonely just thinking about it!" She then leaned backwards, putting on her best pout and fluttery eyes. "Can I stay here with you, Joe?"

Joe blushed furiously at first. As much of a perfect gentleman he was, feeling Mimi's generously blossomed breasts pressed up against him just made his blood heat and pool into all the wrong places. His tongue just stuck in his mouth, keeping the words from coming out, until he just swallowed awkwardly and pulled on the collar of his shirt. "St-St-Stay? You mean l-l-li-like for a visit?"

"Noooo," Mimi said, shaking her head. "I wanna live with you, Joe! Let me move in!" she exclaimed, moving closer when she did.

"Move in?" Joe squawked. "Oh M-M-Mimi I... I d-do-d-don't know... This is my fa-ather's house, not mine. It's not really my d-de-decision."

"What's the problem?" Shuu asked, suddenly appearing behind his little brother with a teasing grin on his face. "Shin's room hasn't been lived in for years. She can have it. And I'm sure dad won't mind having a lady around the house. She'll be excellent company!"

Mimi, of course, took Shuu's positive input as acceptance and squealed delightedly, spinning around and gathering up her suitcases, rushing them into the room that she already knew the location of. Pink duffles bags, rolling suitcases, backpacks, purses, and all sorts of other bags were soon piled into the room. Mimi had far too much stuff, and it was an utter mystery how she'd managed to lug it around. "This'll be great!" she tittered excitedly as she emerged from the room, her eyes shining. "Of course I'll do my part! I'll clean and help out any way I can and- oh! In the morning I'll make breakfast! Tomorrow we can have those blueberry pancakes you like to celebrate, okay Joe?"

"Wait! Wh-What?" Before he could really say anything else, Mimi had bustled past him and staked her claim in the vacant room. "You had no right to do that!" he hissed quietly at his brother.

Shuu just shrugged with that same grin. "What? Like it's a crime? Look, you have a really great girl there, little brother. And it's not like dad is really going to kick her out when he finds her already settled in. He likes Mimi, you know that."

"That's not the point! You can't just- Pancakes?" Large frames gleamed in the light as Joe turned his head.

"Yeah!" Mimi exclaimed, smiling a wide, pearly white smile. "You always seem really happy when I make you pancakes when I sleep over, Joe, right? So I'll make those tomorrow morning to celebrate!"

Shuu grinned even wider. "Sleep over, huh? Way to go tiger," he said in elbowing his younger sibling.

"Cut it out!" Joe snapped. "You know very well that isn't what she meant! I'll ask you kindly not to say things like that about her, either. Mimi is a lovely young woman. I love her and would never do something so inappropriate with her! Maybe you and Shin like to do that with your dates, but Mimi is special and I treat her as such. Thank you very much!"

Shuu blinked surprisedly. He was pretty damn sure he'd never seen Joe get so serious and passionate about anything before. Never stand up for something like that before. Mimi looked confused at first, but soon the wide smile came back to her glossy lips. She sauntered over to her boyfriend's side, her hands clasped behind her back, and stopped next to him. "Thanks, Joe," she giggled, leaning in and placing a peck on his cheek that left a glittery mark. "You don't have to get so defensive though, he's just playing with you," she added with another giggle.

Joe blushed, now embarrassed and fumbling with his voice again. "O-Oh... Right. S-Sorry, Shuu."

His brother shrugged and smiled. "Don't worry about it. Look, I've got class in an hour so I gotta head out. You crazy lovebirds stay out of trouble okay?"

Joe just blushed even harder and his head dropped. "Ye-Yeah..."

"Alright!" Mimi chirped, straightening up and wiggling her fingers in a wave. "Have a good time, Shuu!"

Joe was silent. He knew Mimi was looking at him. He could feel her caramel eyes on him. Glossy lips smiling at him. "So... Can I, uh, get you anything?" he finally asked.

"I'm good," Mimi sighed happily, taking Joe's hand and practically dancing across the hall to the bedroom she'd claimed. "Can you help me unpack, Joe?"

"D-Do what? Unpack?" Joe thought about saying no, but Mimi did have an awful lot of stuff and leaving her to unpack it all by herself wouldn't make him a very good boyfriend. Luckily, since Shin was the oldest, he had the second largest bedroom which included two dressers, one large and one small, and a decent sized closet. Hopefully all her stuff would fit. Joe chose to start with a duffle that had been dropped in front of the smaller dresser. He zipped it open, pulled out something white and lacey, only to shout a second later, "Oh I'm so sorry!" The panty was shoved back into the bag while his free hand slapped over his eyes. Mimi had sat down next to a large suitcase and had zipped it open, finding her bed sheets inside. She looked up from the now pink sheeted bed, a huge stuffed elephant clutched to her chest in surprise, only to catch the look on Joe's face, glance down at the duffle he'd unluckily chosen, and her hand coming to cover her mouth as she giggled, blushing a bit. Joe pulled his hand out only to find a bra strap wrapped around his wrist. How did that even happen? It was another lacey number; the cups pink with white cherries and a pink frilly fringe. "Oh god!" he yelped. "I'm so sorry!" Mimi hadn't been there 15 minutes and he was already violating her privacy. Way to go, he told himself. The bra had its turn of getting shoved back into the duffle now. Joe kept his eyes on the ceiling as he grappled for the zipper, quickly pulling it closed.

Mimi still had her hand over her mouth to hide an amused smile. She found Joe's lack of social coordination really cute. "There's no need to be so nervous, Joe," she giggled as she went back to arranging stuffed animals amongst now lacy pillows. "I mean, it's not like I'm wearing them."

Joe had to take a minute to get his wheezing under control. "Y-Yes, I understand that, but... A lady's delicates are something private, d-don't you think?"

"They're just clothes," Mimi said, sitting on what was now her bed and smiling as she took her boots off. "When they're washed and folded, they're exactly the same as underwear from the store. Nothing private about that." She giggled, throwing the boots to the floor with a clunk and crossing her legs up on the bed, starting to curl a lock of pink hair around her finger. "I mean, like, if I took your boxers out of the wash and wore them as shorts, would you think I was violating your privacy?"

His face exploded in red. "Bu-Bu-But those are my underwear!" he exclaimed. "Underwear at the store are... are different!" Joe tried to explain. "They don't belong to anyone yet! Once you buy them, they become personal. I... I-I-I-I-I thought it was respectful to not, you know... expose someone else's delicates like that."

"Oh," Mimi said, pursing her lips. "Well... I've done that a few times before, like, when I sleep over and don't want to put my skirt back on in the morning," she admitted, gesturing to a bag that had yet to be unpacked. "I brought them with me, if you want them back. Sorry."

"You... You've worn my underwear?" Joe asked, a thin trail of blood dripping from his nose.

Mimi quirked a brow, then motioned to her own nose. "Joe, you got a little something..."

"O-Out in public?" he went on to ask, not seeming to get what she was gesturing at.

"Well, just as I walked home from here... I mostly use them as pajamas," Mimi said, starting to get up from the bed and looking around for a tissue box.

The blood dripped a bit heavier. "Oh god..." Joe sputtered. Finally finding a box of tissues, Mimi took out a few and then walked over to where her boyfriend sat on the floor, kneeling down next to him and wiping the blood away herself. "You've worn my underwear... I've seen your delicates..." Joe mumbled. "We've practically had sex!"

"That's not sex," Mimi said, giggling as she turned the tissues around and dabbed at her boyfriend's upper lip a few times before getting up to toss the tissues. "That's not even close."

Joe sat on the floor continuing to make awkward noises, mostly of the squawking variety. "But we've partaken in each other's most private possessions! Underwear is the last step before the skin. We've touched the things that touch each other's skin!" He waved his arms with wide eyes. "Sex!"

"Touching skin isn't sex," Mimi pointed out, putting a manicured hand over her mouth as she continued to giggle.

"I-It is when skin is the only thing either one of us has on!" Joe argued frantically.

"Not always," Mimi pointed out, pointing upwards with one finger. "You're like the only guy I know who's nervous about his girlfriend wearing his boxers," she added with a smile. "Or seeing her naked, for that matter." Joe opened his mouth to protest, but then his voice never came. Instead, the young man's face turned red again, though not so much, and he looked down into his lap. Mimi frowned, tilting her head to the side. "Joe? What's the matter?" she asked.

"You think I'm a prude, don't you?" he mumbled, hands pulling nervously as his long socks.

"A what?" Mimi asked, pouting a bit.

"A straight-laced goody-goody," Joe said. "A bluenose, a stiff, a over-modest dapper of a cherry."

Mimi still looked confused, but she seemed to basically get the idea. "Well, no, I don't think that, Joe. I just think you're really nervous about stuff that... you really don't need to be nervous about at all."

"I don't mean to be nervous," Joe said with a sigh. "I only want to do right by you, Mimi. I want to respect you. Honor you. But I guess... Maybe that just isn't in fashion anymore."

"Oh, Joe," Mimi said, smiling widely. "You already do that, you know. You're like, the most respectful person I've ever met. Guys don't hold open doors anymore or ask about how you're feeling or knock before they barge in, but you do. All because you want to make sure I'm happy and comfortable. But you know..." She flashed him a pearly white smile. "You shouldn't be nervous about rewarding yourself for being such a great guy, Joe."

"But that's just what I'm talking about!" Joe exclaimed. His nerves suddenly seemed to be leaving him, replaced by a fire he kept so very reserved. "You aren't something I should reward myself with, Mimi. You aren't a prize to be won. You aren't even a privilege to be earned. You... You're so much more than that. Don't you see?"

"But Joe," she argued, shaking her head. "I didn't say that. You're right, I'm not... and I always loved the fact that you think that way. But..." she looked to the side, letting her head bob back and forth as she did. "If you think like that, are you ever going to think we've gotten to a point in or relationship where we can be intimate, or will you just respect and honor me forever from far away? Because if you really want to think about what I want..." She reached her hand forward and rested it on his thigh. "I don't want to be kept at arm's length from you."

Joe looked down at the hand on his thigh. He could feel the heat rising in his cheeks, but he didn't let it get the better of him. Not like it would normally. "Mimi..." Joe took her hand in his and looked into her caramel eyes. "I've never been good at saying how I feel. I always stutter and shout and blurt things awkwardly, but I want to tell you right now. Let me say this, and then tell me if this is something you still want, all right?"

"Of course, Joe," Mimi said, looking a little surprised as he picked up her hand. "What is it?"

Joe closed his eyes and took a deep breath before he began. "Growing up with two older brothers... coitus was something I came to learn about at a young age. My father never sugar-coated things for us. If you asked a question, you got an answer. As I got older and turned into this... huge nerd that I know I am, getting..." He blushed, but continued. "Getting my penis in a girl's vagina, as it was so bluntly described for me, was never going to happen. Then there was the day I saw you. I knew from the first second I laid eyes on you that I would never love a girl more than I loved you. Mimi, you were everything I will never be, and that's what I wanted. When you told me you liked me, well, I was sure I was dreaming. I swore I would treat you right until the day I died. We got older and I saw our friends starting to engage each other. I knew they were having sex, and that you and I weren't, but I was okay with that. Coitus, sex, fucking... none of these words is good enough for me. I don't think I even have a word for it. What I can't believe is that there are some people in this world willing to give it away for absolutely nothing." Joe kissed Mimi's knuckles before going on. "Mimi... The most sacred image I have of you in my mind is your beautiful self, skin bared to the world. Yes, I've thought about it. It would be impossible for me not to. But like I said... I hold it as something sacred. Something so special that I have to guard it with all I have. Mimi, your innocence, your virginity can only be given away once. It's a gift that only you possess and a gift that only you can give. I know this is your decision, but I don't want to be the man who just took it. I want to be the man who was given the ultimate gift by the woman he holds most sacred in his heart."

"Joe..." A pink dusting actually covered Mimi's cheeks, which wasn't something that happened often with the brash and oblivious girl. It took all of her might not to just let herself break down and squeal with happiness. She really was lucky. "All the words you got told are so... crass," she said, shaking her head quickly, making her slightly curled hair bounce around her face. "Those aren't what I want," she said, shaking her head again. "Because you're right, you're absolutely right. But what about..." She lifted up her hand with Joe's hands still grasping it, and placed hers on the other side of one of his before pulling them up towards her lips, kissing his knuckles. "What about saying 'making love'?"

Joe's eyes seemed to light up behind those large frames. He had his own blush going as he smiled at his girlfriend. "Yes, Mimi, to make love with you would be something I cherished for the rest of my life."

Mimi smiled, closing her eyes when she did and making a happy sound, almost like a closed-lipped giggle. "We'll do that, then. When the time's right."

"Until then..." Joe leaned forward to kiss Mimi on the cheek. When it seemed like that was all he would do, Joe leaned in a bit closer and sealed his lips over hers in a gentle, loving kiss. Mimi accepted the kiss on the cheek with something of a knowing look downwards, having expected it. What she didn't expect was the kiss on the lips. She usually had to be the one to initiate a kiss. She gasped a little when it connected, but eagerly leaned into it, letting her eyes flutter shut. Joe's hands found their way to cup her face. He pulled back just a hair before reconnecting. Joe never ventured to use his tongue. That would be far too big of a step for him. He did keep up the pattern of coming apart and then coming back together, mostly because he loved feeling Mimi's full lips against his and because Joe liked that sweet smooching sound they made together. Mimi continued to blush and lean forward. She was so proud of Joe just for not having pulled back sputtering already, but she couldn't let him stay in his comfort zone. She had to try. She gently rested her hands on his shoulders, and when he pulled back and kissed her again, she licked at the line of his closed lips. Joe gasped slightly and pulled back. His glasses had slid down his nose a bit so he was now looking over the top of the frames. "Mimi..."

Mimi frowned gently, going against the little frown on her face. "What's wrong, Joe?" she asked quietly.

Joe shook his head. "I should be the one to make moves like that, but I never am," he said, sounding a little ashamed.

"It doesn't matter who starts it, Joe," Mimi sighed gently. "You know that."

"I should start something," Joe insisted. "Something... Something special. Something I've always wanted that... that's just between us."

"Well, then..." Mimi said, leaning back a bit, "What do you want?"

Joe's face instantly turned red. "W-Well... That... That's uh..."

Now the pink-haired girl looked curious. Her hands came to fold on top of his as she leaned closer, an eyebrow quirked and a cute smirk on her face. "What _do_ you want?" she repeated.

"What I... I want is um... Is, well..." Joe coughed and glanced down at her feet before looking back up at her face, hoping she hadn't caught that. "It... It's not so simple as, well... ah..."

Mimi just continued to give him a curious look. "C'mon, Joe, you can tell me," she said quietly, sliding one of her hands up his arm and rubbing it gently.

"Feet!" he suddenly blurted, eyes squeezed just and hands in fists.

"Feet?" she asked, tilting her head to the side.

Joe wheezed. "Oh jeez..."

Mimi stared for a few minutes, before finally, she started to giggle. "Is that what you were so nervous about telling me, Joe?"

"Well how was I supposed to know what you would think?" Joe countered, his face still ablaze. "It's not very common!"

"I guess so, but it's not all that weird either," Mimi giggled. "I can tell you about what I like if it makes you feel any better." Joe nodded quickly. "Roleplay!" Mimi said with a smile, like it was the simplest thing in the world.

"R-Roleplay?" Joe asked, obviously confused. "Like... Dungeons&Dragons?"

"No!" Mimi laughed, shaking her head. "No, I mean like costumes!"

If it were even possible, Joe's face turned a darker shade of red. "You mean like..." He leaned forward and whispered with one hand against his mouth. "French maids?"

"Sure, that's something," Mimi said, nodding her head. "Or like... bunny outfits, or... Oh! Maybe like, a cop..."

Joe wrinkled his brow. "An officer?"

"Okay, like, have you ever been in a Halloween store, Joe?" Mimi asked. "Like, any of the girl's outfits in there. And then you'd wear something to match..." she tugged on his shirt, smiling to herself. "And then we'd pretend to be those people. Get it?"

"So, you like to play pretend," Joe said, feeling like maybe he understood. He smiled. "That's kind of cute, yeah."

"Well I guess you could say it like that," Mimi said, shrugging her shoulders. She was quiet for a moment, but then she looked back to him. "See? We've all got our things."

Joe nodded. "I suppose we do, yes..."

"So how does your fetish work?" she asked, tugging on his collar.

"Fetish?" Joe squawked. "I-I-I-I-I don't know if I'd c-call it a fe-fe-fetish!"

"What would you call it, then?" she asked with a huff.

Joe fumbled with his hands while trying to explain. "I'd call it a, uh... Special interest of the private nature that sometimes may or may not inspire sexaul responses in one individual or another depending on their level of dedication and fascination."

"So... a fetish," she said with another laugh. "There's nothing wrong with having a fetish, Joe," she added with a pout. "Just tell me how yours works!"

"I... I don't really know how it works," he tried to insist. "I just... like feet. Your feet."

"Well, okay..." Mimi said. She pulled her legs up onto the bed, bringing one of her knees to her chest so she could lift up her foot delicately, after stripping off her socks. Joe's eyes crossed temporarily as they focused in on her foot. Mimi had such dainty feet. Just looking at them made his cheeks turn the same color as her hair. Joe swallowed and leaned forward, leaving a feathery kiss on the tip of her big toe. He felt his heart nearly skip a beat, but he tried not to let it show. Mimi giggled, closing her eyes. "That sort've tickles," she hummed, wiggling her toes.

"O-Oh?" Joe pulled back a hair. "Sorry. Perhaps I shouldn't, then?"

"No, go ahead," she said, smiling and nodding encouragingly. Joe nodded back. He lifted his hands to cup her heel, holding Mimi's foot up for her. Joe leaned in again to kiss each of her toes one by one. Soon enough, though, the kisses were becoming firmer and fuller as his lips traveled down the gentle arch of her foot. Mimi giggled again, a bit louder, a brilliant pink blush coming over her cheeks. She didn't jerk her foot back, though, just laughed and seemed to enjoy the feeling. Joe was unsure about all the laughter. Was she enjoying it? Or maybe she was laughing at him? Trying to not think in the negative like that, Joe continued. He reached her smooth heel where he began to bite gently, nipping and leaving the tiniest of marks. "Oh!" Mimi jumped a little bit, opening her eyes and biting her lip. "It's funny," she laughed quietly. "You don't even get this bold when we kiss..."

Joe ducked his head down shyly. "I really, really like your feet," was all he could offer as an answer.

"I'll keep that in mind," she said, putting a finger to her lips and smiling. The young man breathed for a moment. He was contemplating his next move. Should he move forward, or keep where he was? Mimi was always insisting he do more, so... why not? Joe nodded to himself. His tongue came out to gently lick her heel. Getting a feel for it, his tongue suddenly spread flat on the bottom of Mimi's foot and lapped upward in one long stroke. Mimi suddenly squealed and shifted a bit. Her hands pulled on the sheets a little and her blush continued to darken. It was still a little weird for her, but she just loved something about how bold her boyfriend was being. Dark hazel eyes had fallen shut during his work. Joe lapped at the arch of his girlfriend's foot a number of times, even coming up along the side and biting her ankle bone gently. His face was hot and his heart was pumping bravely. "Mnh... Oh!" Mimi couldn't help curling her toes shyly. She made a tiny moan of a noise when he bit at her ankle as well, laying back in the sheets a bit to recline her head and enjoy the feeling.

Joe had no idea listening to his own desires would lead to such pleasing results. Did everybody know this? Of course they must. Heck, Taichi and Yamato had been doing it since they were twelve. And of course Joe wasn't figuring it out until now. How like him. When Mimi moaned like that, it inspired Joe to bite at her ankle yet again. Mimi hardly ever made noises like this, and Joe was intrigued.

"Ahh!" Mimi gasped before she moaned again, tilting her head back and smiling to herself. Joe never bit, ever. Even on her ankle, the feeling was enough to get a reaction out of her.

He swallowed, trying to keep his nerves in check. Joe nearly felt like he was going to explode. From or with what he didn't know, but whatever it was, it was powerful stuff. His cheek brushed along the edge of her foot before his mouth found those dainty curling digits. Joe licked his lips and Mimi would feel two of her toes now encased in warmth and wet.

"Ahh..." It took all of Mimi's self-restraint not to curl her toes inside her boyfriend's mouth. It sort of sent a tingle up her leg and she shifted a little on the sheets, making another purring moaning noise.

Joe's tongue slicked between her toes one by one, curling around them and suckling gently. Finally his own moan escaped. It was far deeper and more masculine than his speaking voice, almost sounding foreign, but it was definitely Joe.

Mimi actually opened her eye and looked up at the sound of that moan. Did she hear that right? It sounded so... different from Joe's voice. Her hips shifted a bit as he sucked on her toes, but she managed to sit herself back up, listening curiously.

Joe sucked solely on Mimi's big toe. He would wrap his tongue around it; bottom, sides, and even her glossy pink painted nail. Whatever Joe saw in this, whatever he felt from it, he produced another moan. Then another. Each one deeper and rumbling from further down than the last.

"Joe..." Mimi called his name quietly, face still flushed but not quite as tickled on her big toe as she was with the sole of her foot.

Those dark hazel eyes looked up over the edge of his glasses. When he saw her face and looked down at what he was doing, his face turned red all over again. Joe let go of her foot and coughed. "Right, um... That's how my... my fetish works."

Mimi smiled slightly. She leaned forward, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I... like the way your moans sound, Joe," she said quietly, biting her bottom lip as she blushed a bit. "I've never heard them before."

Joe nuzzled his face against Mimi's shoulder. "I'm not sure... I've ever made them before. I think..."

"I like the way they sound," she repeated, running one of her hands up into his hair and spinning a blue lock around one of her fingers.

"Y-Yeah?" Joe asked, smiling just slightly.

"Yeah," she responded, nodding and continuing to play with his hair. "I'd like to be able to hear them more often."

Joe released a small wheezing laugh. "A-And how do we m-make that happen?"

"Lots of ways," she giggled. "But it all depends on what you're comfortable with..." she murmured as she played with the hairs that fell on the back of his neck.

Joe rolled his shoulders slightly. "That tickles, Mimi."

"Does it?" she asked, running her fingers through his hair, gently scratching her nails down the back of his neck and then curling the blue locks around her finger again.

He chuckled. "When you let them fall back onto my neck, yeah."

"Hm..." Mimi kept playing with his hair for a few moments, listening to her boyfriend laugh and feeling him twitch slightly when she did. But after a while, she swept his hair away from his neck, leaving it bare. She then replaced the tickling feeling of his hairs with a very dainty lap from her tongue.

Joe gasped and wrapped his arms around his girlfriend's slender waist. Much out of his control, yet another moan escaped past his lips. "Oh... Ohmmn..." Mimi smiled to herself at the sound. She'd wanted to get him to make that sound for so long, but Joe had always freaked out and started to blush and sputter as soon as she tried anything more than holding his hand and giving him a peck. She brushed the hair away from the side of his neck now, leaning down and starting to lick and gently nip at the skin, slowly working her boyfriend into the feeling. "Mmmmng... Ohhn..." Joe's hands pressed against Mimi's hips, holding her tightly. "Mimi. Mimi, I... Mnnn..."

Mimi smiled to herself, sitting Joe up a bit so he wasn't leaning his face into her shoulder, opening up his neck. She pressed her chest flush against his and ran her hands up into his hair, gently scratching his scalp as she started to suck on his neck.

"W-Wait..." Joe didn't push the girl away, he insisted on a pause. He was breathing, panting slightly. He needed a moment. Just one moment. "Feels... Wow, Mimi."

Mimi smiled slightly. She didn't seem surprised, nor did she pull away; she'd expected Joe to need a moment. She just stopped, leaning her head against his shoulder, ready to start again whenever he was ready. "Doesn't it though?"

"Do... Do other people feel like this?" Joe asked as his hands moved up and down her sides.

"Yeah," Mimi breathed, fingering his collar. "If we were intimate more often... you'd know."

Joe frowned. "Mimi, that isn't what I asked," he said. "Our intimate life doesn't reveal anything to me about the intimate lives of other people."

Mimi frowned confusedly. "I don't get what you mean, then."

"Have other people known these feelings longer than me? Are these the feelings other people have? Or... is this something only you make me feel?" Joes fingers brushed along the small of her back. "I want to know so... I can be better."

"Well... I mean..." Mimi still seemed a little confused. "Like... your body always feels the same. But... the way your heart feels about someone doing it and the way it feels about someone else doing it might be different... does that make sense?"

"I'm so behind, aren't I?" he asked softly.

"Just a bit," she said with a small smile. "But that's alright, it won't be hard to... catch you up."

Joe nodded. "Just tell me, Mimi... Where's the line between being a gentleman and a, well... pig?"

"I don't really know..." she said quietly, shrugging her shoulders a bit. "I've never dated a pig." She picked herself up a bit to kiss under his jaw. "I don't think you could ever be anything less than a gentleman, Joe."

"Sometimes, there are things I'd like to do, like to try... but I don't know if it's appropriate," Joe went on to say. "And I'm too embarrassed to ask."

"You don't have to be embarrassed with me, Joe," she said with a small pout, now fingering the one small mark she'd made on his neck. "You should always feel free to tell me what you wanna try."

The young man considered this. Mimi had a point. What did it mean to be dating if not being open and curious? Joe took a deep breath and closed his eyes before blurting, "I always kinda wanted to know what they felt like."

Mimi drew her pink eyebrows together. "What what felt like, Joe?" she asked, looking up at him.

Joe swallowed. What was he supposed to say? Boobs? Honkers? Sweater Cows? "Your... Your b-breasts," Joe mumbled with a furious blush.

"Oh!" Mimi seemed to perk up when Joe said that. "And here I thought you weren't interested," she teased, tapping his nose jokingly.

"I didn't think I should be!" Joe squawked nervously.

Mimi giggled. "Well, you should be. It's only natural, after all," she said. "Just like I'd like to see your chest once in a while," she said, prodding his shirt before she went to take off hers. After all, it wasn't like he was regularly stripping down to work out or anything.

Joe became flustered yet again. It was all happening so fast! He couldn't believe Mimi would ever want to see his pale, skinny, nerdy chest. What he couldn't believe more was that Mimi was so casually pulling her shirt off and tossing it aside. Her bra was dark blue just like her shirt, but instead of white stars, there were little white poka dots. "Agn... Fllbg... Sheehow... Bbng..."

Mimi put a hand over her mouth as she laughed quietly. It was just so funny to her, since she was so extroverted and bold. She eventually moved her hand and put them down on the mattress. "Whenever you're ready," she prompted, giving him the time to be flabbergasted.

"J-Just like... Li-hiiiiii... Like that?" he asked, like it was too good to be true.

"You might want to take my bra off, Joe," she said with a small laugh.

"Ta-T-Ta-Take your br-br-brrrr-bra off-fffff?" Joe's face was blazing as he reached with wildly shaking hands for the clasp on the front of her bra. The tiny hook was disguised under a white plastic circle nestled comfortably between her rather generous bosoms. Joe only managed to brush a knuckle against one of the plush cups before blood spurt from his nose and the young man was suddenly out cold on his back.


End file.
